p>In recent days, the Chilean National Customs Service has registered a series of smuggling incidents at the El Loa and Quillagua outposts in the north of the country. The operations detected counterfeit clothing, cigarettes and even fireworks, the organization reported.
The Regional Director of the Iquique Customs, Cristian Molina Silva, said that this is medium volume smuggling and "It is striking because it involves unusual quantities, given that we usually intervene in large-scale or small-scale smuggling, which would demonstrate a change in strategy on the part of the smugglers."
Indeed, Molina added, “We have seen changes that We have been forced to adapt the selectivity focuses and maintain our control and facilitation standards in favor of the flow and transit of people and cargo".
Regarding the recent seizures, at the Quillagua outpost and inside a truck that was supposedly empty, customs officers found 247 sports t-shirts that imitate designs from the University of Chile, Catholic University and Colo Colo with a customs value of $3.704.998. The driver received the goods in Arica and would be paid $200.000 to take them to Santiago.
Counterfeit clothing. Photo: Chilean Customs
Later and under the same modus operandi, they were detected 67 cartons of cigarettes of the Carnival Blue and VIP brands on a truck that was transporting mangoes and tomatoes from Arica to Santiago. The appraisal established that the taxes not collected in this case were $4.556.620.
In another truck that was carrying vegetables to Calama they found undeclared goods corresponding to 120 cans of evaporated milk of Peruvian origin, 200 kilos of sugar and 16 thousand plastic bags with a total value of $479.997.
Then, in a mining services van, they were inspected and discovered 290 safety flares and 6 fireworkshidden under seats and inside clothing bags.
Hidden fireworks. Photo: Chilean Customs
Finally, at the El Loa outpost, inside a truck with packages, the customs officers found a series of boxes covered with rolls of cables and that inside contained 90 children's sweatshirts of different colorss with Mickey Mouse designs, as well as 17 children's parkas. The cargo had no documentation and its value was estimated at $1.690.003.
All drivers involved were charged with smuggling and were warned.
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